The single-track road bridge spans the River Spey linking the B970 and the communities beyond, to Kingussie and the trunk road network.

The £622,000 project will see the superstructure of the existing bridge replaced to ensure it is safe to accept road traffic without weight restrictions. The stone masonry abutments and piers will be retained and repaired where necessary to allow for the new superstructure to be installed.

In recent years the condition of the bridge deck had deteriorated to the extent where a three-tonne weight limit had been placed on the bridge to ensure its, and its users, safety. The renewal of the bridge deck requires the bridge to be closed to traffic for six weeks.

Morgan Sindall’s area director for infrastructure, Robert Ogg, said: “The bridge is a vital piece of infrastructure in the area and we understand how people rely on its use on a day to day basis. However, its condition meant there was no alternative but for a major repair and replacement of the steel superstructure.

“Our focus now is to deliver the project safely, on time and to budget and get the bridge operating again as soon as possible.”

Work on the bridge is expected to be complete in the autumn of 2015.